Troll

Troll 'Trollstorm Over Nidingjuv'
Head Not Found , 1995
Lord Pale :
Troll is a solo side project of Nagash ( Dimmu Borgir ) in the vein of extreme norse blackmetal . This , his first mini cd , contains four tracks and lasts just over 16 minutes . Over the course of such a short time Nagash dishes up a memorable journey through some Wongraven styled atmospheric intro's , to acoustic passages amidst some fine dynamic Satyricon/Immortal styled riffing . Other influences can be heard too like early Darkthrone , and a similarity in style to Frosts excellent drum work . The fuzzy guitars slow down occasionally ( like on the title track ) , and some samples are contained in songs like the crackling of flames , and also some deep clean chanting vocals which I found very appealing . Personally , I think this disc didn't get enough recognition in its time , highly recommended .
Favourite Tracks - Trollstorm Over Nidingjuv , Over Daudens Kolde Mark , Naar Natten Endelig Er Her
Mark - 8.5/10

Troll �Drep De Kristne�
Damnation , 1996
Lord Pale :
Troll�s second opus �Drep De Kristne� sees Nagash go solo and deliver a less aggressive, more symphonic slab of blackmetal. Drep De Kristne shares a lot in common with Nagash�s other side project Covenant. Infact �In Times Before The Light� and �Drep De Kristne� are very similar in terms of production, tempo, and style, but where Covenant got cosmic, Troll gets pompous. The core of Troll�s sound is still a raging hum of fuzzy blackmetal guitars but the driving force of the music is certainly the excellent percussion, dropping from blastbeats to folk like stomps throughout the course of the album. Add to this a heavy dose of both grandiose and sinister synth reminiscent at times of ( yet another of Nagash�s musical endeavors ) �Carpe Tenebrum� see �I Saler Av Sten�, and Drep De Kristne is born. Nagash�s vocals are ( as always ) an interesting and compelling blackmetal rasp with a decent range delivering lyrics in the native Norwegian tongue. Some deeper choir style vocals akin to �Vikingland� are used to hum a folk style melody on �Trollberg�, but this Nagash�s only deviation from his usual vocal delivery. Overall Drep De Kristne is yet another fine quality release of blackmetal that fans of any of his other musical projects ( Covenant, Carpe Tenebrum, Dimmu Borgir ) should enjoy.
Favourite Tracks � Trollberg , I Saler Av Sten , Med Vold Skal Takes Kristenliv
Mark � 8/10

Troll �The Last Predators�
Head Not Found , 2000
Lord Pale :
Troll return after a lengthy absence with an 11 track mini cd offering an abrasive new approach to their blackened metal . Where �Drep De Kristne� was a symphonic folky romp , The Last Predators drops all pretences of bombast and opts for a scathing guitar driven attack with the deranged vocals of Sinister Mister Twice ( aka Fafnir from Troll�s debut �Trollstorm Over Niddinjuv� ) . A fuzzy , dirty production helps blend the rockier elements of The Last Predators sound with the Nordic riffing of the debut best exemplified in the rawer songs like �Seierens Stralar� , �My Glance Into The Narrow Room� , and �Frelserrenns� given an aggressive edge by Hellhammer�s pounding percussion . A lack of synth will be immediately noticeable to fans of the bands back catalogue with only sparse appearances in a few of the tracks across the EP�s course , but given the newer musical direction , to much would have been inappropriate . The changes don�t just stop at a musical level however and The Last Predator�s sees Troll�s artwork , lyrics , and band photos shift away from a fantasy orientation into a more modern , demented future vision . Overall Troll present an interesting release that is likely to divide fans into two factions , the followers of the old and those who accept the new .
Favourite Tracks � Colony X-11 : Inflict Mythical Mayhem , Eyes As In I , The Last Predators
Mark � 7/10

Troll �Universal�
Head Not Found , 2001
Lord Pale :
Troll has been resurrected by Nagash ( Covenant/Dimmu Borgir ) with the help of his Kovenant sidekicks Psy Coma and Hellhammer ( Mayhem ) . Dark astral themes carry across Universal�s 36 minute length and 3 out of the 9 pieces are atmospheric keyboard/sample driven musical pieces . The rest is highly groove charged ( similar to Kovenant ) death/black metal styled music . Universal has a good amount of variation between tracks and some nice heavy catchy riffing and acoustic breaks as on �Rex Lamictal� . The major downfall of this album is that it seems to be hastily constructed by some very talented musicians . Hellhammers drumming is top notch as always , Nagash�s vocals varied and interesting and Psy Coma�s riffing is catchy as ever , but it all fails to hold the appeal of their more high profile front running bands . Still a varied and interesting release .
Favourite Tracks � Entering The Fluid Oxygen , Rex Laminctal , Sanhiets Plagiat
Mark � 7.5/10

Official Website